A Missing Piece
by Rose.Petals.In.April
Summary: "I always felt like I was missing something. I always thought it was my bastard of a father, but it wasn't. It was my brother."


**AN: Originally I was going to stick to the three stories I have already and update them, but I had a dream last night and I had to write it. In this dream, I dreamt of Daryl and Carol having a family together, no walkers, and in this dream, Daryl had been adopted by the Greenes and never knew his brother. He still had his scars and was still abused by Will Dixon, but he was adopted at a young age and doesn't really remember much of it. Years later, about thirty-one years, he and his family move to a new town unaware that Daryl's brother lives there too. The dream was very interesting and it was different. From what I know there is no story where Daryl was adopted and didn't know Merle, so I thought it'd be a great idea to write the story of my dream. Daryl will be a bit different than what you have come to know because this Daryl only had five years of abuse that he doesn't remember too well and he grew up with a good family. So he's going to much more happier and better at showing his feelings. Basically, he'll be like the Daryl we see in later seasons, but even better.**

 **Let me know what you guys think about this first chapter. As always favorites and followings are appreciated, reviews are loved, and both negative and positive feedback is welcomed. I also might have a love interest for Merle. Let me know what you guys would like to see for Merle.**

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Five hours in the car with stupid children music and a crying baby. They had to stop at least ten times in the past hour. But they were almost there. Clear River Fields. They were moving to the small town after Daryl's wife got a job at the local hospital. The best part of the job is that the head nurse gets a house with the job. Daryl would only have to worry about bills and keeping the place up. No mortgage. They have moved a lot over the years because of how hard it was to find a job and make money. Hospitals were filled with nurses and nursing homes were depressing. Daryl did what he could, but a mechanic doesn't make much and even though he hunted for food for his family he couldn't really hunt for vegetables or coffee and Daryl said he was done with farming. Daryl was good at a lot of things, but farming? Anything that has to be planted Daryl just kills. Carol is better at cooking than gardening and farming. She was just as bad as he was. Her thing was cooking and taking care of their kids. If money wasn't an issue Carol would just become a stay at home mom, but it was Carol's paycheck they depended on the most. They needed that money.

"The town's pretty at least." Daryl glances at his wife and then out the window. They were driving through the town and Carol was right. It was pretty. The town had all of those old colonel style houses. The town square had a fountain with benches surrounding it. It looked like a place Daryl could see his wife sending her time reading.

"Mama! Look a park!" Daryl smiles as he glances back at his daughter. She looked so much like Carol with her ivory skin and gorgeous auburn curls, but her eyes were 100% Daryl's. She had a big smile on her face as she looked out the window. She seemed to be in a much better mood about the move. He knew how hard it was on her. She never got to make friends before they moved.

"If you're a good girl then maybe daddy will take you this afternoon." Carol tells Sophia as she drives by the park. It did seem like a nice park. It had swings, Sophia's favorite, and it had an awesome looking clubhouse. The clubhouse had a bunch of different style slides and the clubhouse itself had three parts to it. One part was connected to the other by a rope bridge, while the other was connected by monkey bars. You could also get inside the clubhouse by using the rock walls to climb up the sides or go underneath through what looked like tunnels. It looked like the best thing for kids.

"Daddy, please. Please." Sophia begs, kicking her little legs wildly in her car seat. The place they had been staying at before had been nothing like this place. It was just some leaky cold trailer with barely any kids Sophia's age and nothing really around.

"Sure, Soph." Daryl says, unable to say no with those big blue eyes looking at him with such hope. Sophia gave a victory cry, causing Carol to giggle. She kept giving Daryl looks, causing him to smile over at her. "What?"

"Nothing." Carol smiles. "I'm just… I'm happy." Daryl reaches over and takes her small hand into his much larger one. Her hand had always seemed so small and fragile to his. It was soft too, which was a plus compared to his calloused rough hands.

"We haven't even seen the house yet, for all we know it could be a mess." Daryl says, trying to not let Carol get her hopes up. Every time they move Carol gets her hopes up and Daryl hated seeing the disappointment. It always made him feel guilty. He was the man of the house. He's supposed to be able to take care of them and give them everything they could ever want or need. Carol shouldn't have to work.

"It's going to work out, Daryl. I know it will." He sure hopes it does. He doesn't think he can handle another disappointment to his kids and Carol. "I love you." Daryl smiles and raises their connected hands, kissing the top of her hand.

"I love you too." It was the only thing that made these last couple years bearable. If Carol didn't love Daryl and he didn't have her then he surely wouldn't have been able to hold this family together. She was his rock. Without her, he'd be just drifting to sea. She had been there for him when his adopted mother died, then when Shawn died, Annette died a few years after, then when Daryl lost his many jobs, and when he almost got killed from the stupid accident while hunting. She had been by his side through it all. Sure it would have been easier with only one kid to have to worry about, but Daryl would never regret having Jonathan. The little baby was Daryl's whole world just as Sophia and Carol were.

"Look, there it is." Daryl looks up and sees a beautiful two story family home. The house was painted white with red shutters and an attached garage. On the first floor, there was a bay window, which Daryl knew would become Carol's reading spot just as the garage would become Daryl's place. It had a small front deck with a white swing on the front that had a red cushion. So far the front appeared to be absolutely perfect.

"Daddy! Look! It has a swing!"

"Yeah, peanut, come on, let's see what the rest of the house has." Daryl says back to Sophia as he gets out of the car. He moves to the back to help Sophia out. The little girl attaches herself to him like a monkey as he closes the door. "Kid, you're getting a bit big to pack around." He pretends to drop her causing her to shriek. Daryl chuckles. "Relax, I won't drop you."

Sophia mumbles something, but Daryl ignores it as he heads inside their new home. The inside was just as nice. Nice wood floors, comfy leather couches in the living room, a big kitchen for Carol, a nice fireplace for Daryl to light at nights, a sunroom that would make for the perfect dining room, and an office that could serve as a playroom. "Wow." Sophia whispers, her little eyes looking around the house.

"Let's go see the bedrooms." Daryl was still waiting for the but. Waiting for the flaws. Upstairs had nice carpet, good for cold mornings. He opens the first door, which looked to be a guest bedroom. He moves further down the hall, opening all the doors, and peering inside. He counted three bathrooms upstairs, one being downstairs. There were five bedrooms, which almost made Daryl groan because he knew Carol would want to fill them if she saw.

"I want that room!" Sophia pointed to the second largest, which had a connecting bathroom. Daryl had thought it'd be perfect for her too. Girls always took longer in the bathrooms, so having it connected to her bedroom would make it all hers and her brother wouldn't get to use it.

"I'll go to the store today and get some paint for you." Daryl promises. He had to go to the store anyways. They needed groceries and a new crib for Jonathan.

"I want pink." Daryl makes a face at the thought.

"Kid, pick a color you'll like for years because I ain't painting your room more than once if I can help it." Daryl hated painting, but he'll do it. He'll complain, but he'll do it for his little girl.

"I want pink." Daryl sighs, resting his head against his daughter's.

"Fine."

"I told you she'd be a daddy's girl." Daryl rolls his eyes and looks at his wife. She was so beautiful. Red curls sprawled across her shoulders, her own blue eyes that were more navy, her flawless ivory skin.

"I looked around the rooms. We won't need to buy much. Everything's still here."

"The hospital said the furniture stays with the house, so whatever we don't want we can sell, but what we buy-"

"Stays with the house." Daryl finishes. "That's fine. With the way things look, we might be here awhile." Carol smile that beautiful smile that always made Daryl weak in the knees. Carol was his high school sweetheart and even after twenty years of being together he still is madly in love. They've been together since they were sixteen and now they're thirty-six with two beautiful kids.

"We can make one bedroom into Jonathan's nursery, but I thought we'd use one for a guest room."

"That still leaves one more." Daryl points out, shifting Sophia in his arms.

"How many bedrooms are there?" Daryl bites back a smile as he sees the twinkle in her eyes. He knew that look. That's the look she got when they Sophia was three. The look that said she wanted another.

"Five." Carol smiles, her eyes moving around the hallway.

"We can leave the fifth for something else for the future."

"Hmm for something else?" Daryl asks, his voice taking on a mocking tone.

"What?" Carol asks with big innocent eyes. "I could take up sewing again or yoga or-"

"Or another baby." Carol blushes.

"Well, I mean…."

"After twenty years I think I know you, woman." Daryl leans over and kisses her. "Come on, let's see what the backyard looks like."

"Backyard?" Sophia's eyes went wide with the word, causing Daryl to chuckle.

"I know, you haven't had one in a while." They head outside to find the backyard was a pretty good size. It was fenced in with a nice white fence and it had five swings hanging from a big oak tree that looked healthy and big enough for a tree house.

"Daddy, swings!" Daryl could already picture his weekends spent working on the tree house for Sophia and Johnny, while Carol made cookies for the kids and pushed them on swings while the cookies baked. It was perfect. Daryl was still looking for the flaw, but he was settling with the idea of there being none.

"It's a big yard." Carol says in an amazed voice.

"Yeah, and the fence is tall and sturdy looking." Daryl says, giving Carol a once over. "Probably tall enough to keep anything from getting out." Carol raises an eyebrow. "You know, anything furry." Sophia's eyes widen.

"I'm getting a puppy?!" Daryl gives Carol a look, causing the redhead to sigh.

"I'll be making three times what I made back at Crispen. I don't see how a bad dog could be." Sophia screams in delight before wiggling her way out of Daryl's arms.

"I'm getting a puppy!" Sophia starts jumping up and down in excitement, causing Daryl to smile.

"Sure sweety. You get a dog and I get a baby." Daryl rolls his eyes and kisses Carol.

"Jonathan's only five months old, woman. Give me a couple of years."

"But we're getting older and-" Daryl silences her, kissing her and backing her up against the house.

"Just shut up." Daryl mumbles, kissing her once more. Her lips were like a drug. He could never get enough. He could spend hours just kissing her.

"Ew! Daddy!" Sophia cries, causing Daryl to pull away from Carol. Her eyes were still closed and she had that silly smile on her face, causing Daryl to smile. He gives Carol another quick kiss before stepping back and turning to Sophia.

"Just wait fifty years, it'll be me saying ew." Daryl says, causing Carol to laugh.

"Fifty? Daryl, our daughter won't be having her first make-out session at fifty-five." Daryl grins.

"She will if I can help it. And I'd hardly call that making out." Daryl's eyes rank her body, causing a dark blush to cover her face.

"Daddy, I want you to push me on the swings." Sophia tugs on his arm and he lets her pull him towards the swings.

"We'll get your puppy this weekend." Daryl promises, causing his little girl to smile.

"Can I pick her?"

"Her? Girl, I'm already surrounded by females. At least pick a male."

"You have Johnny."

"Again, Johnny's five months old." Sophia makes a face, causing Daryl to sigh. He knew at the end of the week Sophia's going to get her bitch. She always got what she wanted. Daryl just couldn't say no to her cute little face.

Daryl picks Sophia up and places her on the swing. They were a little high for her, but he figured one of them would be pushing her anyways, so it didn't really matter for the time being. Daryl pulls the swing back and lets it go, Sophia swings high and comes back, Daryl pushing it back. Sophia cries of delight could be heard from all around. It made Daryl smile as he pushed his little girl. He finally got their possible forever home.


End file.
